[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 106th Congress]
[106th Congress]
[House Document 105-358]
[Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice]
[Pages 206-208]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 

                     sec. xxvii--report of committee


[[Page 207]]

have directed him to report the same without any amendment, or with 
sundry amendments (as the case may be), which he is ready to do when the 
House pleases to receive it. And he or any other may move that it be now 
received; but the cry of ``now, now,'' from the House, generally 
dispenses with the formality of a motion and question. He then reads the 
amendments, with the coherence in the bill, and opens the alterations 
and the reasons of the committee for such amendments, until he has gone 
through the whole. He then delivers it at the Clerk's table, where the 
amendments reported are read by the Clerk without the coherence; 
whereupon the papers lie upon the table till the House, at its 
convenience, shall take up the report. Scob., 52; Hakew., 148.



Sec. 418. Parliamentary method of submitting 
reports.

  The  chairman of the committee, standing in his place, informs the 
House that the committee to whom was referred such a bill, have, 
according to order, had the same under consideration, and



[[Page 208]]

leges of the House under rule IX (such as a report from a committee on 
the contemptuous conduct of a witness before the committee) would not be 
subject to the three-day rule (Speaker Albert, July 13, 1971, pp. 24720-
23). The general rule (clause 1 of rule XIII) is that reports shall be 
placed on the calendars of the House, there to await action under the 
rules for the order of business (rule XIV).

  This provision is to a large extent obsolete so far as the practice of 
the House is concerned. Most of the reports of committees are made by 
filing them with the Clerk without reading (clause 2 of rule XIII), and 
only the reports of committees having leave to report at any time are 
made by the chairman or other member of the committee from the floor 
(clause 5 of rule XIII). Committee reports must be submitted while the 
House is in session, and this requirement may be waived by unanimous 
consent only, and not by motion (Dec. 17, 1982, p. 31951). All reports 
privileged under clause 5 of rule XIII at one time could be called up 
for consideration immediately after being filed, but since January 3, 
1975 (H. Res. 988, 93d Cong., Oct. 8, 1974, p. 34406), such reports--
with two exceptions--are subject to the requirement of clause 4 of rule 
XIII and cannot be considered in the House until the third calendar day 
(excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays) on which they are 
available to Members. The exceptions from the three-day rule, in 
addition to the exceptions stated in the rule for declarations of war 
and actions on certain executive determinations, are certain reports 
from the Committee on Rules and primary expense resolutions reported 
from the Committee on House Administration (see clause 4 of rule XIII). 
Reports not filed as privileged under clause 5 of rule XIII are subject 
to the three-day rule unless specifically exempted therefrom (in clause 
4 of rule XIII) or unless privileged under rule IX. It has been held, 
for example, that a privileged report involving the privi




Sec. 419. Reports; dissolution and revival of select 
committees.

  The  report being made, the committee is dissolved and can act 
no more without a new power. Scob. 51. But it may be revived by a vote, 
and the same matter recommitted to them. 4 Grey, 361.





  This provision does not apply now to the Committees of the Whole or to 
the standing committees. It does apply to select committees, which 
expire when they report finally, but may be revived by the action of the 
House in referring in open House a new matter (IV, 4404, 4405). The 
provision does not preclude a standing committee from reporting a bill 
similar to one previously reported by such committee (VIII, 2311).